Call for Iraq pullout
Re: “Rep. Murtha targets Cheney, calls for pullout from Iraq,” Nov. 18 news story.
Rep. John Murtha is a brave soldier. It is sickening to watch our leaders in Washington, many who have never put on the uniform of their country, aim their venomous attacks at a Marine who served America heroically in Vietnam and continued his service in the U.S. Congress. Some in Congress who never served have suggested Murtha is a coward. Murtha took a brave stand to call on the administration to bring our troops home from Iraq.
Peter Mayer, Boulder
School vouchers
Letter-writer David Neice (Nov. 12 Open Forum) thinks school voucher proponents would drop their support if they realized that Muslim, Hindu, Wiccan, Buddhist and Satanist parents would use that money to send their children to schools that teach their beliefs.
I believe parents will teach their children their beliefs with or without voucher money. No doubt such beliefs would be taught in proportion to the number of people who hold each belief. That’d be a big improvement over using 100 percent of taxpayer education funds to promote godless moral relativism.
There are lots of problems with every voucher proposal I’ve ever seen. However, the fact that parents will select schools friendly to their own beliefs is not one of them.
It’s time to fund the students instead of the schools.
John R. Pack, Parker
Importance of dissent
Re: “Misplaced priorities,” Nov. 17 Open Forum.
Is dissent unpatriotic? Or the act of a true patriot?
Letter-writer John O’Donoghue condemns those who dare to publicly question the Bush administration’s rationale for war. His unsupported assertion is that such open dissent benefits our enemies. I’d like to point out that such open dissent actually benefits every American. Indeed, when the populace of this country is encouraged to shut up and follow our government with blind faith, we are all in trouble.
O’Donoghue further implies that dissent among politicians and the public harms our national image and national security. I wonder if he can fathom the damage done to both when the most powerful nation on Earth starts a pre-emptive war under false pretenses.
Tony Porter, Colorado Springs
Kickbacks in Iraq
Re: “Handler of funds for Iraqi projects charged,” Nov. 18 news story.
Fascinating that our government hired a man who has served time for fraud to handle $82 million for Iraqi projects. Is it a surprise he is now charged with taking large bribes, kickbacks and gratuities? In return, he awarded $3 million to $5 million to an American company that performed poorly or not at all.
Who in our great government hired him and why?
And why doesn’t an article of this importance rate better prominence than an inside column on page 19A of The Denver Post?
D.L. Nelson, Colorado Springs
